Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-04-01

ready been located over the same terri
tory through which the railroad was TO
run, through every possible means of in
functions, and also by political iniu-
ence, retarded the growth of the road
for years.
The rst division of the road. extend
in. ~ Ellicott's Mills, distance OF
thirteen miles, was finally completed
and opened for the transportation Of pas.
sengers on the 22d OF May, 1880. 1t was
over this division that the sail car
Aeolus was tried, but the main depend
ence was placed OIL horses and mules.
In August. 1880, the first American To-
comotive engine, built by Peter Cooper,
of New York was placed on the track.
Its ordinary rate of speed was five miles
an hour, hauling one car with over
twenty passengers. 1t was said TO be
able to attain speed of eighteen miles
an hour. But as yet steam was too ex-
pensive for the traffic. and on animal
power wasthe chief reliaGce. In March,
1881, the Baltimore american makes
flaming announcement of the success
full transportation of 200 barrels of flour
over the track, drawn by single horse.
the trip being made from Ellicotrs
Mills to Baltimore, a distance of thir-
teen miles, in one hour and fifty-fve
minutes, with one change of horses.
"A numerous concourse of citizens and
strangers witnessed the ariival of the
train at the depot, and were unable to
refrain from loudly testifying their ad-
miration at the ease and celebrity with
which it was Affected" For number
of years this railroad was looked upon as
one OF the wonders of the world, and at
tracted visitors from every section of the
United States as well AS from Europe.
It's annual reports became text books in
the art of railroad building, and its work
shops were practical school rooms. AS
the work advanced old theories were ex-
ploded and new principles introduced;
and in all the difficult feats Of spanning
rivers, piercing or scaling mountains.
il was the pioneer teacher. The engi-
neering skill, which by a bold leap sur
mounted the Alleghenies, was up to
that time unparalleled. To carry a load
over mountain at a grade which rose
Il6 feet TO the mile had been considered
an impossbility, and when proposed by
Mr.. Latrobe, the chief engineer Of the
road, it was looked upon as visionary.
Nevertheless he was authorized 10 pro.
ceed " ith the work, and he accomplished
it. but this was not until more than
twenty years after the beginning Of the
road. Ih 1S42 the road reached Cum
berland, a distance Of l7S miles from
Baltimore, but it was not until 1851 that
Piedmont was reached and Altamont
summit scaled.
On Christmas Eve, December "a,
1852, the last rail was laid into the city
of Wheeling, and on the lst Of January,
1853, the first locomotive, with its train
of ears, that had yet crossed the Allie
ghanies from the shores Of the Chesa-
peake reached the Ohio river. After
nearly quarter ofa century the long
deferred hopes of the people of Balti-
more were realized. The engineering
genius by which the road was carried
from Cumberland to Wheeling, through
and over the mountains, had never been
surpassed anyw here in the world. In
deed, the things accomplished had been
up 20 that time looked upon as impossi
bilities. Upon the 200 miles between
Cumberland and Wheeling there are
twelve tunnels of various lengths, the
longest of which is4 100 feet, over three
quarters of mile, and which took two
years and eight months to complete.
The next in length is 1900 feet. The
bridges are also numerous, and the
'trestling" across the gorges, on the as
cent of the Cheat river hill, are struc-
lures of novel character, being via
duets supported by slender pillars OF
cast iron, very light in appearance, yet
strong and durable. One Of these via
ducts is So feet high, and another 40
feet, resting upon solid all I, of mason
~ l20 feet below the base Of the col
umns. In the design and erection Of
the bridges aud viaducts, Mr.. Latrobe,
the chief engineer, was assisted by
Albert Fink, talented German engi-
neer, who for many years now has been
the pool commissioner OF the great
trunk railroads.
The cost Of the road from Baltimore
to Wheeling was little over 10000 600.
Benjamin A. Latrobe, the engineer TO
whose genius the success OF the road Is
due, was born in PhiIadelphia In 1906.
He was educated for the bar, but after
few years practice, gave up the pro-
fession and studied engineering. In
1880 he became an assistant engineer on
the Baltimore and ONO hoad. III tbis
capacity he served until 1872, at which
time the road had reached Cumberland.
He was then appointed chief engineer,
and AS such located and constructed the
road to Wheeling.
On the 18th Of January, 1853, great
celebration was held IN Wheeling to
commemorate the opening Of the road.
The Governors OF Virginia and Mary
land, the members OF tie Legislatures
of those States, the president, directors
and other officers of the railroad COM
pany aud distinguished citizens from
various sections Of the country all par
ticiparcd. OF the promoters OF the COM
pany, who bad witnessed the COM
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